Library Services for the Visually Impaired: Case Study of Academic Libraries in Ghana

Abstract

The library has always been acknowledged as the hub of information to all in the academic environment. However, library services for the visually impaired in developing countries is often constrained due to social, financial and logistical challenges (Rowland, 2008; Hopkins, 2000; Willoughby, 1990). This study therefore examined the provision of library services for the visually impaired in three public universities in Ghana. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the quantitative aspect of the study whiles case study research design was used for the qualitative aspect of the study. The population of the study consisted of the visually impaired students, Presidents of the Visually Impaired Students Association of Ghana and Head Librarians from the three selected public universities. A brailed questionnaire and semi-structured interview guide were the main instruments used for data collection. The interviews were recorded using an Olympus VN-2100PC digital voice recorder. The study revealed that even knowledge of library services was generally high among Visually Impaired Students (VIS) there was the need tailor-made orientation for the VIS. Also as identified in previous studies, financial and logistical challenges remained the greatest constraints to the provision of library services for the VIS.

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